Review of the “30 Years SAB” Anniversary at the Zunfthaus zur Meisen

A good-humoured crowd gathered on Wednesday 24 May 2023 for the 30th annual meeting of the Swiss Association of Picture Agencies and Photo Archives (SAB) in the noble rooms of the restaurant Zunfthaus zur Meisen at the Münsterhof in Zurich. President Stephan Werder was able to welcome almost all SAB active and honorary members to the “30 years SAB” festive event and then led swiftly through the business. In his annual report, he reported that the Board, supplemented by the organising committee with three other SAB members, was mainly busy preparing for the anniversary year. He also informed about the work of CEPIC (Coordination of European Picture Agencies Stock, Press and Heritage), the association of the European picture industry, which calls itself “Centre of the Picture Industry” and has made a name for itself at the European Commission for questions concerning picture rights. CEPIC has given itself a new organisational structure, a.i.s.b.l, so that it can also accept members from non-EU countries as full members. An important topic on everyone’s lips at the moment is AI, which will probably change the image industry greatly.

As Stephan Werder is unfortunately stepping down from the board, the election of a new board member was an important agenda item. Michael Gysel | freshfocus stood for the vacancy and was elected unanimously, as were all the other board members – Alexandra Mächler, Felix Brunner, Wilfried Haferland and Ursula Baumann – and the auditors. The annual accounts 2022 and the budget 2023 were also approved. In the anniversary year, 1-2 specialist events are planned; an orientation on artificial intelligence is desired.

Other illustrious guests appeared at the subsequent aperitif: among others, Jann Jenatsch, COO of Keystone-SDA-ATS, Christoph Schütz, the head of the working group on the protection of photographs in the partial revision of the Copyright Act and Sylvie Fodor, the managing director of CEPIC, who had travelled from Berlin, honoured the SAB with their presence. Werbewoche | M&K was also on site and posted a large contribution with interviews online.

The fine festive menu in the wing hall was spiced up with speeches by Sylvie Fodor and Christoph Schütz and Stefan Wittwer, who had served as SAB president for 27 years, homorously recounted the SAB history. In a cheerful atmosphere the society enjoyed the successful anniversary celebration.

Swiss Association of Picture Agencies
and Photo Archives SAB
Secretariat
PO Box 15
5303 Würenlingen | Switzerland
www.sab-photo.ch
info@sab-photo.ch

Pictures: Emanuel Ammon, AURA